Navy comparison: 
China vs 
Russia
China operates a fleet of 1033 ships compared to 533 for Russia. Of these, 1005 and 447 are in active service respectively.
SEAS (Sea Equipment Aggregate Strength) Index face-off Full ranking →
China
Russia
Bars: weighted contribution to the SEAS Index (hulls × category weight × size, era and propulsion factors, minor vessels capped at 30 % of the combatant points; the air-wing, sustainment, armament and availability multipliers apply on top) · figures: active hulls at each side's latest inventory year · Methodology
Key figures as of 2026
| China | Russia | Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Official name | People's Liberation Army Navy | Russian Navy | |
| Total ships | 1,033 | 533 | 🇨🇳 1.9× |
| Active ships | 1,005 | 447 | 🇨🇳 2.2× |
| On order / planned | 0 | 18 | 🇷🇺 |
| Submarines | 62 | 60 | 🇨🇳 ≈ |
| Principal surface combatants | 121 | 20 | 🇨🇳 6.0× |
| Aircraft carriers | 3 | 0 | 🇨🇳 |
| Amphibious ships | 81 | 17 | 🇨🇳 4.8× |
Show full breakdown · 5 more rowsHide the 5 extra rows
| Corvettes | 50 | 64 | 🇷🇺 1.3× |
| Patrol boats | 86 | 64 | 🇨🇳 1.3× |
| Mine warfare | 37 | 44 | 🇷🇺 1.2× |
| Coastal boats | 8 | 16 | 🇷🇺 2.0× |
| Auxiliaries | 523 | 162 | 🇨🇳 3.2× |
Backbone classes one per tier held
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Analyst Assessment
Verdict
Edge: China
China's PLA Navy holds a clear and widening overall edge over the Russian Navy, fielding three carriers, 121 principal surface combatants and a shipbuilding base that commissions modern Type 052D destroyers and Type 054A frigates in numbers Russia cannot match. Russia remains competitive only in the undersea domain, where roughly 60 submarines — including nuclear-powered ballistic and cruise-missile boats — and long Arctic operating experience preserve genuine strategic weight.
Domain by domain
Surface combatants
Edge: China
🇨🇳 China121 principal combatants: 62 destroyers led by 35 Type 052D and the large Type 055, 59 frigates including 47 Type 054A, plus 50 Type 056 corvettes. Modern VLS-equipped, blue-water capable.
🇷🇺 Russia20 principal combatants: two ageing cruisers, six Project 1155 destroyers, 12 frigates including three Admiral Grigorovich. Compensated by 64 corvettes such as Buyan and Grisha carrying Kalibr, but green-water in reach.
Submarines
Even
🇨🇳 China62 boats, backbone 18 Type 039A diesel-electric plus Type 093/094 nuclear attack and ballistic-missile classes. Force is modernising fast, though quieting and ASW pedigree still trail Russian standards.
🇷🇺 Russia60 boats including 10 Improved Kilo and nuclear Borei, Yasen and legacy classes; one Yasen and two Improved Kilo on order. Deep operational culture under ice and in the Atlantic.
Carriers & naval aviation
Edge: China
🇨🇳 ChinaThree carriers, including the catapult-equipped Type 003 Fujian alongside two ski-jump ships, supporting a growing fixed-wing air wing and organic task-group air cover.
🇷🇺 RussiaNo operational carrier; fleet air defence rests on shipborne systems and land-based aviation, limiting sustained air cover beyond coastal and shore-based fighter range.
Shipbuilding & sustainment
Edge: China
🇨🇳 China1,033 hulls with 442 support ships underwriting distant deployments; yards deliver destroyers, frigates and carriers in series, and 34 unmanned vessels indicate expanding new-build capacity.
🇷🇺 Russia533 hulls, 96 support ships, and 18 units on order dominated by frigates, corvettes and small craft; delivery timelines are long and large-combatant construction has largely lapsed.
Bases & reach
Edge: China
🇨🇳 China15 bases spanning Qingdao, Ningbo, Longpo and South China Sea features, plus Djibouti and access at Ream — a contiguous coastline enabling concentrated, mutually supporting fleets.
🇷🇺 Russia19 bases across four disconnected theatres — Northern, Baltic, Black Sea, Pacific and Caspian — with Kronstadt, Baltiysk and Novorossiysk constrained by chokepoints, preventing rapid force concentration.
Wildcards
- Geographic fleet fragmentation Russia's forces split between Arctic, Baltic, Black Sea, Caspian and Pacific commands cannot reinforce each other quickly; transits pass through the Danish straits, Turkish straits or the GIUK gap, magnifying local numerical weakness.
- Industrial depth and repair China's yards sustain series production and battle-damage repair at scale. Russian shipbuilding faces component and export-machinery constraints, pushing refits and the 18 planned units toward extended timelines.
- Blue-water operating experience Russia retains deeper long-range submarine patrol and Arctic experience, plus recent strike employment of Kalibr. China's expeditionary record is shorter, resting largely on escort deployments and Djibouti-based sustainment.
Analysis generated by a language model from the figures on this page and public sources; it is an informed reading, not a military assessment or a prediction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which country has more naval ships, China or Russia?
China has a larger navy with 1,033 ships compared to Russia's 533 ships.
Which navy has more submarines, China or Russia?
China operates more submarines with 85 compared to Russia's 82.
Which country has more aircraft carriers, China or Russia?
China has 3 aircraft carrier(s) compared to Russia's 1.
Which navy has more destroyers, China or Russia?
China operates 66 destroyers compared to Russia's 8.
Which navy has more frigates, China or Russia?
China operates 59 frigates compared to Russia's 19.
How do the China and Russia navies compare in size?
China's navy is 1.9 times larger than Russia's in terms of total ships (1,033 vs 533).